New online project will map out every ancient hill fort in Ireland

From the Bronze Age to Iron Age, Ireland has its fair share of ancient hill forts. Among the 40 known hillforts across Ireland, there are many more to be found and explored.

After five years of research, a team of researchers and scientists have discovered 4,147 ancient sites across Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland and the Isle of Man.

The information collected from all the sites has been put onto a website where the general public will have access. People will even be able to access the information on their phones if they wish to visit or discover details of the ancient sites near them.

A professor from the University of Edinburgh, co-leader of the project, Ian Ralston said: "Standing on a windswept hill fort with dramatic views across the countryside, you really feel like you're fully immersed in history.

The project was set up to encourage people to explore and learn the historical significance of the forts.

Professor Gary Lock from the University of Oxford, stated that "We hope it will encourage people to visit some incredible hill forts that they may never have known were right under their feet."

As more people start to explore these sites, they too will be able to contribute to the database if they wish. They can submit photos and texts from their own trip.

Across the regions that were researched for the project, Scotland has 40% of all the hill forts across UK and Ireland. In Ireland, Mayo and Cork each have over 70 sites between them compared to Wales and England with sites ranging from 147 to 271.

If you are interested in finding an ancient hill fort near you, click here.

What do you think of the project? Will you visit a location near you? Let us know in the comments.